10 Tips to Motivate and get the Best from your staff...

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by Jeri M. Riggs  Hospitality Factors LLC   www.hospitalityfactors.com

  1. Show up on time for meetings with your employees.

  2. Don't answer your cell phone when you're meeting with employees, unless you tell them in advance that you are expecting a call that you will need to answer.  Turning off your cell phone for the meeting will send a positive message. 

  3. Introduce stand up meetings (that's not the same as 'line up" meetings). Usually 'stand up' meetings result in a shorter - get to the point conversation and employees will begin to appreciate your meetings as added value, not time wasters. 

  4. Respond to questions and concerns, and ask for input.  If you're not able to answer, don't ask the question.

  5. The old usage..."be part of the solution, not the problem'.  Be careful with this as some employees simply don't know or don't have a solution, but they're asking for help to resolve an issue or concern.  Don't discard a problem because they don't offer a solution.  Know when this is appropriate. 

  6. Get to know your employees; ask about their family,children and pets, and be sincere or don't ask.

  7. Give credit for success to others; you don't own it.  Your boss or client will know where the leadership is coming from.

  8. Don't make your employees feel like they are not successful if they don't aspire to grow into management positions. Explain how everyone's job contributes to the success of the business. Offer training and encourage them to do the best job they can. Develop a reward program that is achievable for every hourly employee.

  9. Thank your employees when new projects or products don't succeed. Failure can mean success.  Many organizations trial a new concept or product before embarking full scale.  If it doesn't succeed, they pull back and as a result, save the company a ton of money by avoiding a full-scale loss.  That in itself is a success! Recognize your staff for their efforts and communicate that victory also comes from realizing that a concept or product may not be ready for the marketplace, for any number of reasons.

  10. You're in the hospitality business.  It's 365/24/7. Remember that for most of your employees, "Friday" for them often falls on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  So don't show up on Friday saying "TGIF" and don't leave at the end of the day with "have a good weekend....".  Be sensitive to the world in which most of your employees live. 

         "Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first."                                                                                                                        ~Simon Sinek

 

Does Your Guest Feel Special?

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What do you do to make your guest feel good about their experience?

by Jeri M. Riggs  Hospitality Factors, Inc.  www.hospitalityfactors.com

I recently participated in a discussion on LinkedIn around how to make a guest feel good about their experience.  It's a valid concern for hotels and restaurants. Many establishments say ..."we're your home away from home".  I suggest you make it your goal to create a stay that exceeds 'home'.  Give them more. They already know what it's like to be "home" and if they wanted that, they'd probably still be "home" (unless business plans require otherwise).  Teach your employees to anticipate how each guest is feeling when they arrive.  Do they have kids or pets in tow; are they arriving late at night and did they call for driving directions (which means they may already be frustrated); is this their first experience at your hotel or restaurant; are they calling for room service five minutes before closing time; etc.  Teach your employees what 'empowerment' means and how to experience being a hero.  Don't require them to say "I have to check with my manager" and please...forbid them to say "no problem". Instead, encourage them to say "my pleasure and thank you".  This is Customer 101 to all of you.